Table 2.

The coding scheme.

Initial codes	Sub-themes	Final themes
In the student club: common beliefs, comrades, intimate friends, sense of belonging, activities for diversity, accessing members in the same group, meaning of identity, identity being supported, meaningful things, contributions for the group.	Identity security in the student club.	Undergoing different identity negotiation processes in four environmental systems.
In the university: being able to express, open and free campus atmosphere, being supported by staff, being encouraged by peers, being restricted by regulations, being prejudiced by peers, high inclusiveness, group identification, biased views, equity for students with different identities.	Identity inclusion and differentiation-inclusion in the university.
In families and society: revealing identity, concealing identity, pressure, bias, conservative attitudes of the elderly and parents, social tag, social demarcation, group identification, social acceptance, no attack, ingrained traditional cultural norms and values, identity consistency.	Identity predictability and unpredictability-predictability in families and society.
Being conscious of one’s identity, being acceptable of different identities, being self-contented, wanting to do something for the group, making meaning of identity, enhancing ability, self-determination, altruistic motivation, self-transformation, connecting with like-minded group members, building a sense of faith, making efforts to accomplish things, understanding the group more deeply.	Foundational meaning-making capacity and identity negotiation in the microsystem.	Mobilizing the meaning-making capacity to negotiate identity in four environmental systems.
Reflecting on other students’ attitudes, reflecting on one’s own experience, being shocked by other students’ views, confronting queries and stigma, assisting the group, expressing opinions, getting the voice heard, clustering with in-groups, identifying with in-groups, allowing the coexistence of different voices, not caring about other students’ biases, hoping to get recognized, classifying friends according to their acceptance of identity.	Transitional (formulaic to symphonic) or symphonic meaning-making capacity and identity negotiation in the mesosystem.
Not believing in the little self, being worried about the unknown future, being conscious of the external pressure, reflecting on others’ views, distinguishing people and cities in terms of the inclusiveness, reflecting on self and group identity, pondering social change, pondering social (in)equality, gradually promoting social acceptance, doing things for social justice, not easy to be treated as normal, disliking distinction, distinction leading to recognition, not daring to disclose identity, no need to disclose identity, adhering to oneself.	Transitional (formulaic to foundational) or foundational meaning-making capacity and identity negotiation in the exosystem and macrosystem.